1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to software that manages active power profiles, and more particularly to a method and article for the dynamic determination of an optimal utilization of remote device applications based on historical application usage patterns, application power requirements, and available power reserves stored on a remote device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As portable electronic devices have continued to evolve their level of sophistication and abilities to carryout a myriad of applications have progressed as well. Initially, a portable electronic device was dedicated to voice communication, such as a cell phone, or to basic computing functions and scheduling, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). However, the present generation of portable devices has combined computing and voice communications in a single unit, while offering additional features of data communication over the Internet, delivery of multimedia content (video/audio), as well as gaming functions. The increased functionality of the present generation of portable devices has increased their usage throughout the user's day, and placed additional energy demands on the portable device's power source. Despite the increased energy demands, the continued miniaturization of these devices has continued to reduce the amount of space allocated to the portable device's power sources. Furthermore, despite advances in materials that have improved electronic device efficiency, and that have allowed for increased energy storage per unit area, the user demands placed on portable electronic devices has continued to outpace the ability to power the device for extended periods of time. For example, cell phones normally have a maximum of 2 to 4 hours of talk time between a required recharge, while other applications on the cell phone such as Internet access or playing a pre-recorded audio, such as a stored MP3, decrease the amount of talk time considerably below the maximum.
Presently employed power management techniques, such as switching electronic devices into power saving and standby modes after a predetermined amount of dormancy, or switching off screens after initiating a phone connection, have contributed to extending device operation between required recharging. However, many of today's applications, such as streaming video and Internet browsing, require constant display as well as a continuous radio frequency (RF) connection. Therefore, existing power management techniques are inadequate to address the electronic device power consumption profiles that are increasing faster than their power supply profiles.